Spring Lake (Omaha, Nebraska) facts for kids

Spring Lake is an old and important neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. It's located in the southern part of the city. The neighborhood is surrounded by I-80 to the north, Missouri Avenue to the south, Highway 75 to the west, and the Missouri River to the east. Inside the neighborhood, you'll find a special place called Spring Lake Park. This park was once known as Syndicate Park. Spring Lake is next to the Deer Park neighborhood on one side and the city of Bellevue on the other.

Discovering Spring Lake

The Spring Lake neighborhood is home to several important places. These include Spring Lake Park, Spring Lake Magnet School, and the Spring Lake Public Swimming Pool.

History of Spring Lake Park

The land where Spring Lake Park now sits was first called "Syndicate Park." It was owned by a group of businesses called the Livestock Syndicate. This group helped create the livestock and meat processing industry in South Omaha. South Omaha used to be its own small city.

The park was made as a private place for the workers and people living nearby. In 1915, the City of Omaha took over South Omaha. This meant the park became property of the city.

In 1933, an old dairy farm was turned into the first Spring Lake golf course. Later, in 1960, a ravine from the Begley farm was added to the park. This area was used as a city dump for a while. The land from this dump was later added to Spring Lake Park.

Bringing Back the Lake

In the late 1990s, some leaders from the Spring Lake Neighborhood Association started a group. This group worked to restore and protect the park's natural areas. They wrote many grant applications to get money from the Nebraska Environmental Trust.

Their hard work paid off, and they received three grants. These grants helped bring together park neighbors and city officials. They worked on ideas for a large water feature in the park. Experts from Kansas State University and the University of Nebraska helped create a basic plan. This plan led to the City of Omaha studying the idea.

Today, the community is working to bring back the lake in Spring Lake Park. A program called Clean Solutions for Omaha is helping. This program is funded by the government. Its goal is to help Omaha follow the US Clean Water Act. They are designing ways to manage stormwater in Spring Lake Park. This plan includes wetlands, natural springs, and ponds. These areas will be open to the public and provide homes for wildlife.